Feedback with Ira Madison III

Jessel Taank is here, and she has some things to clear up! She joins Ira to discuss the fan reaction to her on the latest season of The Real Housewives of New York City. They get into her feud with Carole Radziwill, the Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy drama, her infamous Dorinda Medley fashion showdown, and her complicated relationship with Erin Lichy. Plus, Jessel reveals her plans to play matchmaker for Ira.

00:00 — Intro

01:43 — Jessel Taank Joins

06:18 — RHONY Fan Backlash

07:40 — Erin & Setting Boundaries

14:17 — Race & RHONY

15:05 — Carole Radziwill & Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy

19:47 — Dorinda & the Bubble Dress

24:03 — RHONY Friendships & the New Cast

33:36 — Fashion PR & Personal Style

41:04 — Matchmaking

44:27 — RHONY Zingers & Confessionals

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Chris Black is everywhere and doing everything — co-hosting the podcast How Long Gone, building his American essentials clothing line Hanover, writing a memoir, and hanging in the DJ booth with Charli XCX's husband. He joins Ira to talk about his taste and how he developed it, from the 90s Atlanta hardcore scene that exposed him to life beyond a white, middle-class, suburban childhood, to the current "say yes" era he's living in — all while juggling sobriety, marriage, and still wanting to be in bed by ten.

00:00 Taylor Swift Released New Music

03:40 Chris Black joins Ira

06:46 Writing Retreats & Isolation

10:45 Books, Memoirs & Reading

15:48 Manhattan vs. Brooklyn Living

20:46 90s Hardcore Punk Roots

24:48 The Value of Gatekeeping

27:58 Managing a Band, TRL & MTV Nostalgia

30:45 Video Podcasts vs. Audio

34:37 His GQ Column & Bravo's Southern Charm

36:42 Developing Taste via Magazines

38:31 Launching Hanover Apparel

40:16 Curation & Photography

43:48 Ultimate Pop Diva Mount Rushmore

53:29 Fantasy of Living Abroad

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Marlon James joins Ira Madison III for a conversation about his new novel The Disappearers (which has been shortlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize), growing up in Jamaica, and the pop culture that shaped him. They get into Marlon’s complicated relationship with his own past, how Prince, Heathers, and ’90s grunge gave him a vocabulary, and why he wants readers to enter the world of his books on his own terms. If you haven't picked up a copy of The Disappearers yet... run, don't walk.

00:00 Ira Madison III Ranks the Booker Prize 2026 Shortlist

04:33 The Disappearers & Writing His Most Personal Novel

07:56 Growing Up Queer in Jamaica

12:12 Prince, Pop Culture & Queerness

20:19 How He Writes & Gets Out of the Way

32:17 How Pop Culture Shapes His Writing

37:13 Jamaican Patois & Writing on His Own Terms

45:15 Queer Sex, Shame & Writing

50:14 Revenge, Trauma & Literary Perspective

52:25 What Marlon Wants to Disappear From Literature

56:58 Writing Multiple Perspectives

01:06:22 How He Knows When a Book Is Finished

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We’re talking lights, camera, action with writer, director, and Ira’s book club bestie Shatara Michelle Ford. They talk about Ford’s latest feature, Dreams in Nightmares, the real cost of funding their first indie project, and how to make ambitious work without waiting for Hollywood’s green light. Plus, Shatara breaks down what they learned working with director James Gray on Lost City of Z and the moment on set that made Shatara fall in love with Robert Pattinson's acting.

00:00 Welcome to Feedback

03:12 Ira and Shatara Reunite

07:38 Queen Elizabeth and The Black List

13:42 From Test Pattern to Dreams in Nightmares

26:24 Shatara’s Directing Process

33:08 Learning From James Gray

40:31 Robert Pattinson and The Lost City of Z

43:46 Making a Black Queer Road Movie

49:30 Richard Brody and Dreams in Nightmares

51:13 What’s Next for Shatara?

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This week on Feedback, Ira sits down with playwright Max Wolf Friedlich, whose Broadway hit "Job" went from a scrappy sleeper to a show so in-demand that Hugh Jackman could barely get a ticket. Max opens up about the realities of creating a Broadway banger, what it's been like following up with his new play "The Holes", and the unlikely origin of his theater career — a LARPing summer camp at age nine. Plus, a little on looksmaxxing, slam poetry, and creating social cachet in supporting art.

0:00 Rachel Cusk's Life of M & the Natalie Portman Rumors

2:52 Introducing Max Friedlich & His New Play The Holes

6:16 How Job Became a Viral Broadway Sensation

9:10 Max's Early Social Media Career

12:24 NYC Celebrity Theater Culture and Writer Anonymity

16:59 The Origin of The Holes: LARPing Camp & an 8th-Grade Assignment

24:14 Max Relives His Slam Poetry Days

28:49 Avoiding a "Job" Sequel: Controversy, Honesty & the Mental Toll of Broadway

33:32 Tech Bros and Social Cachet in Supporting the Arts

40:24 What Theater Teaches Men

46:29 Celebrity Scandal Nostalgia, NYC Food & Comfort Movies

52:08 Indie Film & Theater Influences: Jane Schoenbrun, Passing Strange & The Seafarer

58:46 Screens on Stage, Fan Encounters & Quitting Social Media

1:07:08 Internet Outrage, Dolly Parton & Looksmaxing Culture

1:14:18 Robert Pattinson Producing The Holes

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Phoebe Robinson is here, and she has thoughts! She joins Ira for a conversation about pop culture, comedy, and saying exactly what you think. They get into Phoebe’s viral wig rants, the strange state of celebrity podcasts, and why she wants people to stop treating pop culture commentary like the news. They also discuss Phoebe's return to stand-up, and what it really means to be in your "Rich Auntie" era.

Buy tickets to Phoebe's Feral and Fired Up! Tour: https://www.phoeberobinson.com/

00:00 Ira Talks About Dolly Parton

02:48 Phoebe Robinson’s New Book, “Rich Auntie”

05:37 Friendship, Boundaries, and Getting Older

06:53 Writing Books and Finding Her Voice

13:27 The Evolution of Podcasting Since “2 Dope Queens”

18:01 Phoebe’s “Wig Rants” and Sharing Opinions Online

24:00 Why She Doesn’t Have an Opinion on Everything

28:06 Creating Her Own Opportunities

31:44 The Responsibility of Comedy

37:49 Creating Tiny Reparations Books

41:07 Advice for Becoming a Better Writer

46:36 Giving Artists More Time to Create

48:30 Pop Culture, “The Valley,” and What She’s Watching

52:26 Problematic Celebrity Crushes

54:00 The Worst Things She’s Spent Money On

55:45 Books, London, and Lady Gaga

57:28 Why Men Should Read More Fiction

01:01:13 Do People Actually Read the Books They Post Online?

01:04:14 Book Covers and “You Can’t Touch My Hair”

01:05:19 Phoebe’s Dream Podcast Guest

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This week, Ira is joined by bestselling author Angela Flournoy for a conversation about writing, reading, and trusting your audience. Together, they discuss Angela’s writing group back in LA, the joy (and frustration) of Goodreads, why some books teach you how to read them, and the delicate balance between guiding readers and letting them figure things out for themselves. Plus, Angela explains why she's actually pro-feedback — and why every writer should resist the urge to Google themselves.

00:00 Intro: Ira’s Reading Habits and Tips from Well-Read New Yorkers

02:35 Angela Flournoy and The Wilderness

08:15 Writing a Novel Over Ten Years

10:57 Life as a Writer

18:16 Writing for the Page, Not the Screen

23:27 Toni Morrison and Teaching Readers How to Read

31:02 Writing Routines and the Pomodoro Method

37:50 Books, Prizes, and the Writing Life

43:52 Knowing When It's Time for a New Book

49:13 The Novel, Short Stories, and The Wilderness

52:59 Ghosts, Grief, and Loss

54:40 Friendship and Making New Friends

59:42 What Fiction Reveals About the Writer

1:02:15 Classic Books and Reading in 2026

1:05:55 Teaching Writing and MFA Programs

1:10:00 Goodreads, Reviews, and Feedback

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This week, Ira sits down with writer, cultural critic, and TikTok commentator Josh Lora (@tellthebeees) to unpack the cultural forces shaping what we watch, read, and obsess over online. They get into Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, the internet’s growing fixation on masculinity, and why TikTok has turned beauty, loneliness, and dating into a warped competition. Along the way, they debate the state of BookTok, the death of counterculture, and whether reality TV needs a little more mess. Plus, Josh explains the Harry Jowsey lore and why you absolutely do not need to watch Let’s Marry Harry.

00:00 Ira Madison III Introduces the Episode

04:21 Josh Lora Joins Ira: Christopher Nolan & The Odyssey

07:40 The Odyssey, Identity & Representation

12:05 Christopher Nolan’s Fascination With Masculinity

20:45 Masculinity, Guilt & the “Great Man”

24:29 Interstellar, Spider-Man & Male Loneliness

32:29 TikTok, Beauty Standards & Online Culture

41:09 Daria, Punk & the Death of Counterculture

46:55 Celebrity Fandom & the Rise of Stan Culture

52:58 BookTok, Reading Culture & DNFing Books

56:06 Why Internet Culture Is Getting Darker

01:06:41 Reality TV, Netflix & the Death of the Reality Star

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This week, Ira sits down with entertainment journalist and Bravo expert Gibson Johns to unpack how covering The Real Housewives and the broader Bravo world evolved from a guilty pleasure to a full-blown media ecosystem. They get into the blurry line between commentator and fan, the Bravo fan impact, and whether reality stars are performing for podcasts and social media as much as they are for the cameras. Along the way, they revisit unforgettable Housewives moments, recall a silly BravoCon confrontation, and hear why Gibson is all in on Love Thy Naders.

0:00 Nene Leakes Is Back: Ultimate Girls Trip: Roaring 20th Review

8:50 Gibson Johns Joins the Show

10:45 How Gibson Went From Bravo fan to Bravo Journalist

15:29 Critic or Interviewer? Where Gibson Fits In

21:50 Andy Cohen's Soft Spots + Caller on Janet & Jason

28:09 Fan Hypocrisy & Has Feedback Gotten Too Powerful?

33:23 Constructive Criticism & Performing for the Discourse

38:50 Franchise Identity & When a Show Becomes "About the Show"

44:41 Hulu's New Reality Shows

47:53 Threads Discourse Has Gone Feral

50:12 Ira's Apartment Fire Cameo on RHONY: In the City

52:27 Gibson's Coverage of the Osefo Drama

55:43 Caller: Kelly Bensimon & the Carl Radke Question

59:47 Ex-Housewives Spinoffs & Social Capital

1:04:39 The Men of Southern Charm

1:08:34 Caller: Who Is Rhode Island's Villain?

1:12:05 Rapid Fire: Bravo Superlatives

1:14:35 Lindsay Hubbard on Threads, Jules & Closing Bits

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New York nightlife isn't dead—you just haven't talked to Connie Fleming and Lina Bradford. The nightlife legends join Ira to swap stories about Madonna's Club Confessions, the golden age of MTV, drag's evolution into performance art, Fire Island, club etiquette, and the music that keeps the dance floor alive. Plus, they settle some nightlife debates—including the right time to leave the afters.

0:00 – Intro

6:04 – Madonna's Club Confessions NYC

10:05 – Connie Fleming: Working NYC's Legendary Club Doors

14:21 – The Art of Curating the Perfect Nightlife Crowd

17:32 – Drug Culture in the Clubs

21:05 – Boy Bar, Drag, Fashion & NYC Performance Art

26:13 – Before TikTok: The Lost History of Club Documentarians

29:20 – Fighting for LGBTQ Rights Then—and Now

32:21 – When Queer Life Moved From the Dark to the Light

39:46 – Fire Island, Inclusion & Finding Community

47:42 – Listener Call: Biggest Misconceptions about Connie and Lina

53:52 – The Music That Still Moves Them

58:11 – Connie's First Night at Basement

1:00:54 – Are Phones Ruining the Club?

1:04:20 – Connie and Lina's Friendship Story

1:06:32 – Social Anxiety & Club Etiquette

1:10:13 – Listener Call: When Should You Leave the Afters?

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